Tag: confident

As I walked to the train today, I realized how blessed and happy I am with my life. Girl, your last 22 chapters have been through highs and lows, but I am so deeply proud of the woman it has carved you to be. I walked to the train with a smile on my face because today is the beautiful day this seed was planted into the universe and now this sunflower marks 23. Year 23 will be nothing short than a miracle year. Blossom 22 conclusively was the year of following my heart and trusting my inner judgment as Brianna herself. I don’t know what blossom 23 will be the year of, but if I had to predict, it will have to be turning passion into realities and learning that doubt is the death of all success. Ohhhhh look at your girl coming through with the deep messages, “doubt is the death of all success.” I’m gonna have to keep that as a daily affirmation. You all can definitely use this as a message in your life just don’t steal my quote as your own, that’s not cute.

To the past 22 blossoms, thank you for all that you have been to me and engraved in me. I am honored to be who I am walking into 23.

The phase in which we feel we are old enough to have it all together yet young enough to not have it all together. It’s the phase in which we are so lost in trying to find ourselves while trying to be the best daughter/son, sister/brother, friend, employee, student, mom/dad, and more.

Per usual, older generations complain about the 20 somethings of this generation.

“You guys disregard tradition. You feel you don’t have to get a job and work hard.”

“We all had to work jobs we didn’t like to make it and to support our family”

“You think living in your own little world is going to last.”

“I would’ve love to be a ______, but I didn’t have time. I did what I had to do.”

….I’m sorry, but I’m just a tad bit addled. What is wrong with living in my world of happiness?

Who says I have to work a job for 25 years that I don’t like? Society?

I will never put off what truly makes me happy for anything. When God blesses me with a family, I will support them with doing what I love and with what makes me truly happy. Tradition is how each individual perceives it. Our generation of 20 somethings have decided that working a 9-5 does not make them happy and that there is a different way of making things happen.

I LOVE and ADMIRE the 20 somethings that are so free and creative with everything that they do! Leaving their 9-5 steady job to say they want to travel the world to learn and teach yoga or whatever it is that makes them happy. Sometimes the “I don’t care mentality” is not a negative thing.

I don’t think we understand how deep some of our opinions can cut into the mind of others. We need to learn to mind what we say to each other at times. Not everyone has such thick skin to disregard the opinions of others. Your personal opinion may have swayed a multi-millionaire from taking the risk of doing what made them happy. I, myself, am learning to think about what words I allow to come out when people ask for my opinion on decisions. I never want to say something that will halt someone from achieving their dreams.

Sending all love to the 20 somethings just trying to make things happen the best they can. To those searching for themselves, finding themselves, healing, setting goals, achieving goals, and being unapologetically 20 something! Let the happiness in your heart guide your way.

Njinga Mbandi was known under several names throughout her life and throughout history itself. Her several names were Nzinga Mbande, Dona Ana de Sousa, Zhinga, Ana de Souza, N’Zhinga, and Jinga (Confederation). Njinga got her name from her mother’s umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck at birth; “kujinga” in Kimbundu means to twist or turn (Confederation). Queen Njinga was born in the year of 1583 in Ndongo Kingdom; there is no month or day available of her actual birth. She was the ruler of the Mbundu and Matamba people of Angola for several years, even until her death in 1663; she was in her eighties and died peacefully (Snethen).

The Mbundu people created the Ndongo Kingdom in which was ruled by King Ngola at the time; the country’s name, Angola, derived from King Ngola (Mbundu). Mbundu is also known as “Kimbundu.” According to Britannica, they are the second largest ethnolinguistic group in Angola; the language spoken is Kimbundu, in which is a Bantu language. The Mbundu control more so of north-central Angola until this day (Britannica).

The Portuguese began exploring further into Central Africa to expand their colonization. They changed geographical direction due to the English and French threatening their monopoly of slave trading along the West Coast of Africa (Snethen). The African West Coast was the main trading center of enslaved Africans. The Portuguese were moving in to attempt to colonize Luanda. Luanda is the current capital of Angola, founded in 1575; it is located in the northwestern region of Angola.

In order to control Luanda, the Portuguese attacked the Ndongo Kindgom and many of their trading partners. This strategic move gave the Mbundu people nowhere else to turn except to the Portuguese (Engle). A Portuguese port was established in Luanda in 1617. This established settlement added fuel to the fire of anger and hostility. There was an attempt to calm the hostility between the Ndongo and the Portuguese. The Portuguese Governor, Joao Corria de Sousa, wanted to meet with King Ngola after running him out of his kingdom and taking thousands of his people prisoner (Snethen). King Ngola sent Njinga to the negotiation (Engle).

King Ngola was seen as weak to his people due to him falling to the Portuguese. He then committed suicide, in which left the kingdom to Queen Njinga in 1624. He only ruled for seven years (Confederation). “Other accounts claim Nzinga [Njinga] poisoned her brother, or murdered her bother’s son, the heir, after Ngola committed suicide, in order to seize power” (Engle).

One of the most talked about events during this time was Queen Njinga’s first meeting with the Portuguese. “In the first set of meetings Nzinga [Njinga] sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown. Noting that the only chair in the room belonged to Governor Corria, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga [Njinga] for the rest of the meeting.”

Queen Njinga converted to Christianity and changed her name to Dona Anna de Souza to accommodate the Portuguese. It was said that King Ngola committed suicide due to the Portuguese demands of submitting to the slave trade business (Snethen). Queen Njinga refused the Portuguese’s demands. She then took over a nearby Kingdom of Matamba. She took Queen Mwongo Matamba’s army and joined it to the Ndongo Kingdom. She also welcomed runaway slaves captured by the Portuguese to join her army to help fight in the war against Portugal that lasted thirty years. Queen Njinga called upon all other tribes and kingdoms in Luanda that was controlled by the Portuguese(Engle).

Queen Njinga was known for her interesting army. “She kept consorts men who were required to dress as women, and she trained her ladies-in-waiting as warriors.” She also refused to be acknowledged as Queen, only as King (Engle). Njinga believed greatly in female empowerment and strength.

Another strategic move that she decided upon was reaching out to the Dutch, whom were in competition with Portugal. She proposed for them to join her army. Although Queen Njinga’s army grew greater and stronger, it was not enough to defeat the Portuguese. In order to defeat Portugal in a more strategic manner, she then started developing the Matamba and Ndongo Kingdoms as trading centers (Engle). Queen Njinga successfully resisted the colonization of the Portuguese through her military tactics and strategic maneuvers. She was the first female ruler of the Mbundu people and created a Kingdom of success.

I personally have never heard of Queen Njinga Mbandi, but I have heard of the Ndongo Kingdom and the Mbundu tribe due to me finding out that I am part Angolan from a DNA ancestry testing. Women who take charge as Queen Njinga did are truly inspirational to me. Her willingness to take leadership in the time of need for her people remind me of myself, minus the poisoning and murder of family in order to take that leadership role.

Queen Njinga took no disrespect nor did she allow herself to be belittled. In her first meeting with Governor Joao Corria de Sousa, she motioned one of her assistants to kneel on her hands and knees to provide her with a seat since the only seat in the room was for Governor Corria. In a way, this was challenging Governor Corria; she may have been proving a point that she had more power because she had the power to make one of her assistants to bow down to her authority. Governor Corria may not have had that power. Queen Njinga showed the Portuguese that she was nor would ever be inferior to them. She was a Queen and was going to be respected as such. Many women in today’s society have forgotten their power and entitlement as queens. Even after the death of King Ngola and his son, many including the Portuguese refused to acknowledge Queen Njinga as the ruler of the Ndongo Kingdom. She proved that she was the crown by overtaking the Matamba Kingdom and creating it as her own, as well as how she led her army. Njinga trained the women in her army as warriors; she held them to a higher position than she did for the men in her army. Men consorts were required to wear dresses and dress like women; this was her example of proving a woman was in power by belittling the position and ideology of what a man’s power and/or authority is supposed to be.

Until this day, Queen Njinga is one of the most respected rulers of not only amongst the Mbundu and Matamba people, but of the country of Angola. She was known to be a proud victorious woman from the meaning of her name. She also seen first hand how to rule a kingdom from her father favoring her and allowing her to sit beside him during important meetings; he even took her to war with him, where she learned effective military tactics (Confederation).

The success of Queen Njinga Mbande reassured my beliefs that women need to hold themselves to a higher standard. It is okay to lead and take charge regardless if this makes men feel inferior or lessens their ego. Women are strong enough to be the creators of life, raise the children that will then lead the nation, therefore women can lead a kingdom.

Beautiful Queens let us not wait until the new year to set positive goals for ourselves. Let us end 2016 with pure positivity.

What is beauty? It is what every woman and little girl possesses. It is up to us to help every other Queen remember that she is beautiful. We need to stop competing with each other so much because we are all fighting the same fight.

Many of our insecurities come from the competition with other women. Who do we get dressed up for truly? To combat the approval of society to validate our beauty, I have come up with the Beautiful Challenge.

I challenge every Queen to tell at least 7 other Queens a day that they are beautiful for aweek. You can tell women you know, but try to tell complete strangers. You never know how much you can impact another Queen’s day. And challenge every women you call beautiful to also take part of this challenge.

Remember, beauty is not just a physical feature. Beauty is also an action that one may take part in.

Steve Harvey may not be a Queen like us but he is one of my idols that I look to for inspiration success and money wise. I want this video to inspire Queens to be successful the best way they know how. We all have a craft; perfect that craft, build a business out of that craft, profit from that craft, and give back.